COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 300, 29 May 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs revenue collected yesterday was as follows „ £ s d

Globe Office, Saturday. The recent inclement weather has checked business considerably, and to some extent has interfered with prices. A large line of wheat was sold during the week at 3s 4d, and at this price business could no doubt be done. A private English telegram of 19th May, quotes New Zealand wheat at 465. This must leave a loss to shippers, and is not encouraging. Flour is steady at £9 T's at the mills. Bran is worth £-1 and meets a good demand. Oats are steady, prime milling selling freely at 3s 9d. Barley remains without notice. The Provincial Government arc bringing in a Bill to empower it to increase the wharfage in Lyttelton from Is to 2s 6d per ton ; also, to enat le it to charge for the use of the steam cranes, and to increase the rail charges generally. In class B, which includes grain, coal, and other heavy goods, the Government ask for power to increase the rate between Lyttelton and Christchurch from 5d to 7d per mile, or 40 per cent. These alterations are naturally looked upon with much dislavor by commercial men, as at present rates it is well known a profit could be made with economic management. A private company would willingly rent the whole of the wharves and railway at a fair rental, and work at the present goods tariff, so that the public naturally object to be asked to pay increased rates merely because the Government cannot work so economically as a private company can.

Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. report on the live stock market for the week ending Friday, the 28th inst,, as follows: —The yards on Wednesday were fairly supplied with both sheep and cattle, say 2000 sheep, and 270 head of cattle. The sheep were chiefly of the cross-bred class, and fat enough for butchers’ purposes, and we believe every lot was quitted. There was less spirit exhibited in the cattle market than we have seen for months past. In fact, for fat and store cattle we may quote a fall in values for the week, and do not contemplate any improvement upon present priees for store cattle until the spring. We quote prime cross-bred mutton from 2£d to 2|d per lb|; beef, 3Cs per lOOlbs. We sold on account of the Hon E. W. Stafford cross-bred wethers at 19s 6d each, and cross-bred ewes at 16s 6d each; &"* of course they were exceptionally good quality and heavy weights. Mr Stafford makes it a rule never to send his stock to the yards until they are properly grazed, and the consequence is that he Invariably tops the market in price. The butchers keenly compete for his stock, well knowing that if the animals look the weight, they will always die it. We also sold on account of Messrs Marcroft, Mathias, Bovey, Cook, and others, over 1500 sheep. For medium merino wethers, 10s each ; medium cross-breds, 14s each; store cross-breds, 9s to 10s each; store merino wethers, 6s 6d to 8s each; and cull ewes at 3s 3d each; and privately during the week we have disposed of over 4000 mixed sheep, at the above quotations.

Tea ... 75 2 6 Spirits ... ... 193 6 0 Tobacco ... 21 5 0 Jams ... 31 10 0 Hops ... 9 13 0 Palings Iron Rivets , , ... 31 16 0 .. 24 4 0 Musical Instruments ... ... 15 2 0 Sugar • M ... 24 10 10 Cement ... ... • • ... 12 18 0 Wine Sundries ... ... • • ... 68 7 7 f If ... 16 10 0 Drapery ..t m III ... 17 14 0 45532 3 11